2016.08.28 14th and U in the Morning 07625

Site of one of the former Pride, Inc. gas stations operated by Marion Barry:

"A nonprofit venture committed to black economic development, Pride established businesses in ghetto areas and staffed them with young, unemployed black men—often high-school dropouts, often former criminals, and always ignored by society. These “street dudes” (as the newspapers liked to call them) were not a promising group to build on, but they were Marion Barry's core constituency and they needed the helping hand. Like the bus mancott and the Free D.C. block parties, Pride proved Barry's commitment to helping those who required the most assistance. An equally enduring legacy: Pride also showed Barry that he could milk the public teat to augment his own power.

Pride workers killed rats, cleaned streets, operated gas stations, and managed an apartment complex. For several years, the program was a surprising success: The businesses stayed afloat, the street dudes stayed off the street, and Barry made himself hero, spokesman, and provider for a loyal following. But in the early '70s, as Barry departed Pride for the D.C. school board, the businesses all fell apart, victims of their locations and their inexperienced employees. At the same time, Pride's employees were plundering it: Barry's first wife, Mary Treadwell, ultimately served 15 months in prison for defrauding a Pride-related apartment complex. (But she and Barry had the last word: Soon after Treadwell was released, the Barry administration parole board hired her for a $27,000-a-year job.)" Sources: www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/article/13008849/the-res... and books.google.com/books?id=CW00AQAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg...